Sidestreaker

Chapter 13- Mission City, Megatron, and the Decepticons

I got the feeling they were being watched, and this was confirmed when an F-22 fighter jet flew directly overhead. They pulled to a stop and got out of the vehicles, watching the skies. "Air Force has arrived! Pop smoke!" Lennox ordered, and one of his men popped a can of green smoke, marking their location to the F-22 jet as it came around again. "Raptor, Raptor, do you copy? We have you visual." Epps asked into the radio as the F-22 flew overheard. "Green smoke is the mark. Provide air cover and vector Black Hawks for extraction." The jet was gone for the moment, but I heard it coming around again the bad feeling only grew stronger. Watching it approach and hearing Epps trying to contact the pilot, my suspicions were confirmed and, right as the F-22 came into sight again; there were alien markings on the underside of the jet, although so small the humans probably would miss them.

Just then, Ironhide transformed. "It's Starscream!" he yelled and Sideswipe transformed. "Please tell me you copy," Epps repeated faintly. Ironhide jumped into action as everyone reversed out of the way. "Back up! Take cover! Sideswipe," he ordered. The two Autobots moved forward and began lifting a truck as the F-22 jet came around again, and I felt my heart sink in horror. I backed away with Sam and Mikaela, it was hard to find decent cover with all these people running around in a panic at seeing the two Cybertronians. Lennox finally seemed to realize what was happening, and his eyes widened. "No, no, no, no, no! Move!" he yelled. "Back up! Back up!" Ironhide told them, waving his hand. "Retreat! Fall back!" Lennox ordered, and his team scrambled clear of the vehicles and ran towards the flanking buildings for cover. "Incoming!" Ironhide warned as Starscream came within range and fired a missile at the truck the two Autobots were holding up. It provided good enough cover for some, but it otherwise exploded and sent both them and everyone else either flying or ducking for cover with the impact. All of them were showered with debris and left a bit stunned in the aftermath. I had been thrown back and landed on the side of Sunstreaker, and my ears were ringing slightly, which caused a massive power surge. Everything seemed to echo and be in slow motion as I coughed a few times, breathless suddenly, and Sunstreaker put me on the ground before get up himself to see the rate of destruction caused by Starscream. The entire street was a mess, looking almost like a ghost town save for the soldiers and the Autobots. 

"Anybody hurt? Everybody okay?" a soldier shouted. "Clear the area!" another called. I saw Sam and Mikaela lying not far away, and Lennox and his team, along with Jazz, Ratchet and Ironhide seemed to be okay, but when I caught sight of Sideswipe, my heart sank for a second time in the span of thirty seconds. "No," I whispered, running over to where he was lying on top of a truck next to Sam and Mikaela. "Sideswipe," I said and Sunstreaker seemed to notice the same thing as he stood up. "Oh, my primus. Sideswipe? No. Your legs! Your legs." Sunny said to sides. Sideswipe was groaning and crying out quietly as he pulled himself along the ground using his servos, his legs severed at the knees. I tried to clear some space for him to move. "Here. Here, back, back, back, back!" I told Jazz, pushing gently against the bonnet until the Pontiac moved away. "You alright?" I asked him. Sideswipe stopped and I heard him wheezing with the effort. "Please get up. Sideswipe? Get up!" I begged him.  He looked up at Sunstreaker and I, his blue optics wide and noticing I had tears in my eyes. "Ratchet," Sunstreaker and I yelled, in the background I heard Lennox and Epps arguing, until the latter mentioned that F-22 pilots would never fly below buildings, saying that that one had been alien, not friendly. 

I felt like shouting at them that was what Ironhide had been trying to tell them, but I didn't have the energy as I worried about Sideswipe. I shuffled backwards as it looked like he was about to move again. "You got to get up," Sunstreaker told him. "It's okay, its okay," Sideswipe said, continued to pull himself along the ground with a quiet noise that tore at my and Sunny's hearts. "Come on!" I encouraged, my voice cracking with emotion at seeing him like this, after all they'd been through. "Army Black Hawk inbound to your location. Over," I heard a voice over Epps' radio, and he and Lennox rolled their eyes in frustration. At least they knew that the others back at the dam had managed to get a message to the Air Force, if only it had been sooner. "Alpha 273 degrees, 10 miles, November Victor, 1.2 clicks north." Epps replied. They all flinched at hearing a loud 'bang', and at the other end of the street they saw a huge tank, scaring more people and making them run away as it carelessly drove over cars and headed directly for the group. "Well, shit, these things don't die, do they." I yelled. The tank fired another shot, and the soldiers ducked their heads again. It fired another two shots, practically pinning Lennox's team so they couldn't return fire. Finally, they were able to raise their heads and watched as the tank continued to approach.